


Zack Fair: The Clumsiest 2nd Class SOLDIER

by shivadyne



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Bullying, M/M, Minor Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-12
Updated: 2015-06-12
Packaged: 2018-04-04 01:17:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4121008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shivadyne/pseuds/shivadyne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zack keeps running into Cloud. Literally.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Zack Fair: The Clumsiest 2nd Class SOLDIER

**Author's Note:**

> i got inspired by this post (http://promptsfordays.tumblr.com/post/116244449490/height-difference-aus). the one i went with was “You are very tall and I am very short so you run into me all the time and honestly this is getting ridiculous”
> 
> it's my first time writing zack and i'm still pretty new to writing cloud in general, so this was a pretty fun way to get used to the characters. 
> 
> i wasn't sure if the bullying in the story, though only touched upon, would be too much for general so i'm using teen. if i'm wrong on anything, feel free to correct me.

Classes were finally letting out for the day, much to the pleasure of the many cadets and other students within the classroom. Cloud was exhausted; he was sure it was from the drills that he had to endure in the morning and the pop quiz in his Advanced Materia class. The relief of being able to return to his bunker so that he could sleep was a great one.

Of course, with his luck, he steps out into the hallway and notices a 2nd Class SOLDIER walking quickly through the hallway. He’s too busy staring in shock (and no small amount of admiration) at the tall, spiky-haired man to notice that he wasn’t trying to get out of the way. In fact, it seemed like he hadn’t noticed the cadet at all.

The SOLDIER collides with him, knocking the two of them to the floor. Cloud’s just glad he’d already tossed all of his stuff into his bag so nothing falls to the floor. He gets up as quickly as he can, offering a hand to the 2nd Class that was still sitting on the floor. He wore a look of surprise on his face, though the cadet couldn’t understand why.

“Are you alright, sir?” he asked quietly as he held out his hand. Zack shook his head, obviously having been lost in his thoughts, and took the offered hand before pulling himself up.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, I totally didn’t see you there,” he apologized, rubbing the back of his head and laughing sheepishly. Cloud just stared up at him, aware that he probably had more to say. “You’re kind of tiny, man.”

“It’s fine, sir. I should’ve moved out of the way,” Cloud said, shrugging his shoulders. He ignored the comment about his height, even if he wanted to confront him; it was a 2nd Class SOLDIER and he knew he’d never be able to win against him in a fight. Looking pointedly in the direction that the SOLDIER was heading, he pointed out, “You seemed like you were kind of in a hurry.”

“Shit, I forgot, you’re totally right!” he shouted and took off running. Cloud watched him as he hurriedly turned the corner, barely evading a very frightened-looking cadet that he thought looked familiar. He wasn’t sure, but he thought maybe her name was Elena?

Shaking the thought off, he continued to his bunker and immediately collapsed into his bunk before drifting off into the sweet oblivion that was sleep.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next time that Cloud meets the SOLDIER is much like the previous one.

He had been waiting outside of the infirmary, worried for the cadet that he had found in the hallway with a black eye and a split lip. She’d been limping when he walked her to the infirmary and had eventually confessed, with much prodding, that someone from her class had beaten her up after finding out that she had a better score on the quiz.

Though he had considered that a stupid reason to beat someone up, he was aware that bullies rarely needed much reason (or any at all most of the time) to be provoked. Cloud had silently offered his support and offered to wait outside of the infirmary to walk her back to her own bunker.

He’s lost in his own thoughts, mostly unhappy ones, so he doesn’t notice the 2nd Class SOLDIER walking towards him again. Most would believe that the SOLDIER would learn from his mistake the previous time and look down when he walked, but they’d be proven wrong when he walked straight into the blond cadet for the second time.

They crashed to the ground again. The SOLDIER hit his head against the wall with a loud bang and Cloud only added insult to the injury by knocking his head against the SOLDIER’s chin from the position he ended up in when they fell.

“Shit, I’m really sor—wait a second, are you the same guy I ran into before?” the SOLDIER asked, surprise bleeding into his tone. He got up as he spoke, offering a hand to the cadet. Cloud took it, allowing himself to be pulled up, and nodded. “Wow, what a weird way to meet someone. I’m Zack Fair, 2nd Class SOLDIER. Nice to meet’cha, blondie.”

“Blondie,” Cloud said, flatly. He realized his mistake immediately and went to apologize, but Zack just waved it off with an amused smile.

“Well, I’d be willing to call you something else if you gave me your name,” the SOLDIER teased, still smiling.

“Cloud Strife, cadet,” he said quickly when he heard a voice calling out his name from the infirmary. Looking apologetic, he explained, “I have to help someone back to their bunker.”

“Okay, see ya!” he called out to the cadet’s retreating back before remembering that he had been in a rush to get somewhere. Cursing to himself, he muttered, “Sephiroth’s gonna kill me!”

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The third time happened underneath the plate.

It was one of the few days that even cadets had free from their duties and Cloud had gladly taken the chance to go with some other members of his bunker to Wall Market. He had been shocked when one of them, a boy that had grown up in one of the Sectors, caught a pick-pocket.

More surprising, however, was when he heard a familiar voice shouting, “Hey! Get back here!”

That was the only warning he received before another person collided with him in the middle of Wall Market, knocking the two of them to the ground. Cloud groaned as his head hit the concrete, glaring up at his assailant.

He ended up looking up into Zack’s apologetic face and all he could do was sigh in resignation. The SOLDIER got up off of him, offering a hand down to Cloud and he allowed himself to be pulled up again.

“Can’t believe I’ve run into you like three times already,” Zack admitted, looking extremely surprised about their chance meeting. Cloud, however, noticed that the pick-pocket had paused at the sight of their fall and glanced in that direction.

Zack, following his gaze, ran after the perpetrator. Cloud, thinking nothing of it, continued on with his visit to Wall Market and dealt with the jokes that his bunk-mates were making about the meeting between the two of them.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The fourth and last time that Zack runs into him happens while he’s discussing the homework with Elena, the girl that he’d previously helped out in the infirmary and was tentatively befriending after the fact.

“Uh, Cloud,” is all that Elena is able to get out before someone runs straight into Cloud. A string of apologies soon follows as the SOLDIER quickly pulls the cadet up, looking around to see if anyone had noticed his slip up. Only one other person had seen it other than Elena and Cloud, but he didn’t seem to care.

“Sorry, Cloud! This is getting kind of ridiculous, huh?” Zack acknowledged, looking extremely embarrassed that he had run into the same cadet four separate times. Cloud, despite being the one that had been run into on those four separate times, seemed to have become resigned to it happening.

“It’s fine, Zack,” he replied, unconcerned. Zack still looked upset over the entire situation, however. With a small, nervous smile, Cloud asked, “Do you want to go under the plate with me this weekend? I messaged you earlier about it, but you never replied.”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” he said, his guilt completely forgotten. “I’ll take you to the best places you could ever hope to find, Cloud!”

“Hopefully you’ll do it without getting pick-pocketed again,” Cloud pointed out, appearing doubtful of his own words.

“It was one time,” he grumbled, glaring. He took a glance at the time and his eyes widened in shock. Forgetting himself, he leaned forward and gave Cloud a quick peck on the lips; then he was rushing off, calling out, “I’ll pick you up at 12:00 on Saturday! Later!”

Elena gave him a distinctly smug look and Cloud glared at her, the back of his neck and the tip of his ears turning red with embarrassment.


End file.
